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by Jaffna special correspondent

After the general elections we will support the party that forms the government. We will support the UNP too if we are invited. As far as we are concerned the political power is of two types. One is to govern with strength of arms and the other is to govern with the strength of the people. The EPDP has rejected the former and has placed their faith on democracy and the support of the people. We followed the democratic path and are serving the annihilated Tamils.

The support the people gave us was not fullfledged. We are confident of capturing all the seats in the Jaffna district. The people should give us their full mandate to serve them.

We are sure of victory at the general elections," said Douglas Devananda, Minister of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the North and NE, Tamils Affairs at a press conference held in the EPDP party office, Jaffna.

Devananda further said that he was not placing his cards for personal glory. He accepted the ministership to have the political authority to negotiate on behalf of the Tamil people and serve them. "After I became a Minister I have done services that would put the political Lilliputians to shame and envy. The people have given me the strength of Gulliver. Now the so-called United Tamil Alliance is throwing shafts at me to scare me.

This would not find fruition as the people have already decided who their representatives are."

He said, that the TULF had so far been a dog in the manger. The TULF scuttled the interim proposals placed by us. They still think that their views on ethnic problem are the aspirations of the Tamil people. In 1988 we submitted our proposals to solve the ethnic issue in a memorandum containing nineteen pages. But the TULF's proposals contained only three sentences.

He said, that the JVP gave support to the government in time of dire need. The partners of United Tamil Alliance too could have done this and bargained for more powers.

If they had done this the four demands now released by the UTA could have been placed before the government and found solution to the ethnic issue.

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